The sun was just coming up over the Smoky Mountains after about an hour of driving on the morning after Lou’s big doctor’s appointment.  I had already accepted that I wasn’t going to be able to turn in the rental car on time — there was no way I could make it from Knoxville to […]

Handing over the keys to our SUV to the manager at the rental agency felt like a victory to me.  I miraculously got the car back to the agency within the “grace period,” which meant I avoided one additional late penalty. I suppose I should’ve just been grateful for the win, but I remember all […]

The Christmas break during my freshman year of college was full of weird feelings.  I had a tricky first semester at school, and I had been really homesick. I was so excited to spend time with my mom; and, I was looking forward to finding that sense of “home” again. But as soon as I […]